Another storm looks on course to hit early next week with further weather warnings likely
After what has been a rather unsettled week across Ireland with strong winds and heavy rain which lead to flooding in places as storm Ellen moved across Ireland on Wednesday night into Thursday a another storm now looks possible on Monday night into Tuesday with a deepening area of low pressure moving in from the Atlantic.
Before we look at the risk of wet and very windy weather lets take a look at storm Ellen and some of the records it set for August..
Met Éireann named Storm Ellen on the evening of Tuesday the 18th August 2020. A rapidly deepening and unseasonal Atlantic low-pressure system was forecast to cross the country on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Status Red/Orange/Yellow wind warnings were issued for the Island of Ireland.
A complex area of low pressure associated with a deep trough in the Atlantic was approaching Ireland on the 18th and merged with the remnants of tropical storm Kyle as it moved northwest across the Atlantic. This interaction spawned a new compact Low centre, named Storm Ellen, south of the main parent low pressure system. Storm Ellen deepened rapidly as it approached Ireland from the south-southwest, moving cyclonically around the parent low, while interacting with the left exit of the Jetstream associated with the trough in the Atlantic.
Storm Ellen, with a rapidly deepening low centre of 972 hPa, approached the Cork coast at approximately 9pm, and tracked northwards over the country during the night, followed by a very strong south-westerly airflow, backing south-west to south. Associated fronts moved north-eastwards across the country overnight bringing some localised heavy thundery downpours in places. A combination of storm surge, spring tides and onshore winds caused some coastal flooding particularly along the South coast.
Southeasterly strong gale force 9 to storm force 10, veered south to southwest and occasionally reached violent storm force 11 as the storm centre approached the South Coast.The combination of unseasonal heavy rainfall and strong winds coinciding with trees in full leaf and the peak holiday season resulted in impacts more associated with late autumn or winter, particularly across Southern coastal areas where winds were strongest.
Weather Extremes:
Highest 10-minute mean wind speed recorded for Storm Ellen – New August record for Ireland
Roches Point (Cork) – 60 knots (111km/h) at 2200utc on 19th August 2020 (the highest on record for August. Wind records date back to 1942).
Highest gust recorded for Storm Ellen
Roches Point (Cork) – 77 knots (143km/h) 2200utc on 19th August 2020 (2nd highest on record for August. Highest was 78kt at Claremorris on 11th August 1999).
NEXT WEEKS STORM RISK
Monday evening into Tuesday
During Monday evening a band of heavy rainfall will move into the southwest extending northwards to all areas on Monday night with the risk of spot or localised flooding. Temperatures will range between 17C to 20C
Heavy rain overnight spreading northwards with with flooding in some areas. It will also turn very windy overnight in places.
Heavy rainfall spreading northwards across Ireland on Tuesday morning with the risk of flooding and very windy weather in places the exact details yet are uncertain. The current outlook is for a area of low pressure to move in of the Atlantic and as it does so pressure will continue to fall and deepen as it make landfall. Rain looks set to linger in many areas over the afternoon but clearer and drier weather will move up from the south over the evening and overnight to most parts and it will become less windy. Temperatures will range between 15C to 20C
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